JP2845562B2 - Developer supply container - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a developer supply container for supplying a powdery developer to an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a laser beam printer.

(Prior Art) In order to replenish powdery developer (toner) to a copying machine or a printer without scattering to the outside, various developer replenishment containers having a slide-type opening / closing lid have been proposed (for example, Kumiaki Mizuaki). 55-12193, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 50-4056, JP-A-59-86073, JP-A-60-115963 and the like.

The developer supply container generally includes a container body having toner, an opening / closing lid that opens and closes by reciprocating an opening of the container body in a slidable manner, and supplies toner in the container body to a member to be supplied. A guide member is provided around the opening of the main body and guides the opening / closing lid with respect to the reciprocating motion of the opening / closing lid. This has the advantage that even if a small amount of toner remains in the container body, the container body can be removed from the replenisher without being scattered outside and discarded.

On the other hand, the opening / closing lid of the developer supply container is generally opened and gripped in the opening / closing operation, and a large force is required at the end of closing. At the end of closing, the residual toner is caught between the opening / closing lid and the guide member. Requires great power. For this reason, sufficient care must be taken to fully close the opening / closing lid. Therefore, there is a case where the container body is removed from the replenishment target even when the opening / closing lid is not sufficiently closed, and there is a problem that toner scatters from the container body to the outside.

Further, in order to prevent the above-mentioned dribble, there has been proposed a type in which the container body is locked to the supply target while the opening / closing lid is open, and the lock is released only when the opening / closing lid is closed. (For example, JP-A-49-25936, JP-A-59-86073, etc.), in this case, a trouble such as trying to remove the container body from the replenishment target even though the opening / closing lid is not sufficiently closed. Occurs.

Therefore, in order to resolve the above-mentioned troubles,
It is a common practice to attach a mark such as a label to the opening / closing lid and the container body, or to attach a mark such as a label, and confirm the fully closed state of the opening / closing lid by matching these marks.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, it is difficult to provide the mark with high dimensional accuracy in the method of marking the opening / closing lid or the container body.
There is a case where the coincidence of the mark is erroneously described depending on the angle of the operator.

In addition, the method of relying only on the mark has a problem that it is difficult to recognize at intervals that the opening / closing lid is completely closed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a developer supply container that can reliably recognize the full closing timing in the closing operation of the opening / closing lid without fail and can clearly recognize the developer. To offer.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a developer supply container detachable from an image forming apparatus main body, comprising: (a) a container main body for storing a developer; A) an opening for supplying the developer contained in the container body to the apparatus body; (c) a movable opening / closing lid for opening / closing the opening; and (d) the opening / closing lid. An engaging position for moving the opening in the opening direction to be pushed by the opening / closing lid and engaging with the apparatus main body, thereby restricting movement of the developer supply container with respect to the apparatus main body; Is moved in a direction to close the opening, thereby releasing the engagement with the opening / closing lid, thereby releasing the engagement with the apparatus main body by the restoring force of the elastic deformation. An elastic member that can An elastic member that emits a sound when the engagement with the apparatus main body is released by the restoring force of the elastic deformation.

According to the present invention, the elastic member engages with the image forming apparatus main body when the opening / closing lid moves in the direction in which the opening is opened, and regulates the movement of the developer supply container with respect to the apparatus main body. The engagement member and the sounding member that emits a sound when the opening / closing lid moves in the direction to close the opening and the engagement with the apparatus main body is released can also be used. Therefore, with a simple configuration, when the opening / closing lid opens the opening, the movement of the developer supply container with respect to the apparatus main body can be regulated, and when the opening / closing lid closes the opening, a sound is generated. Can be notified to the operator that the opening / closing lid has been closed.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the developer supply container 20 is mounted on the hopper upper cover 10 of the toner hopper of the image forming apparatus. The developer supply container 20 supplies the developer into the toner hopper which is the member to be supplied. I can do it. The developer supply container 20 includes a container body 21 having a toner as a powdery developer therein, and an opening 21a at a lower portion of the container body 21.
(See FIG. 1.) A guide member 22 surrounds the periphery, and an opening / closing lid 23 that reciprocates in a sliding manner with respect to the guide member 22 to open and close an opening 21a of the container body 21 and the like.

That is, the developer supply container 20 is attached to the hopper upper lid 10 of the toner hopper, and the opening 21a of the container main body 21 is opened by sliding the opening / closing lid 23 in the direction A in FIG.
The toner in the container body 21 is supplied to the toner hopper by its own weight. Then, the toner in the toner hopper is supplied to the developing device as needed, and is operated in the image forming operation.

Here, the state of FIG. 3 shows a state immediately before the developer supply container 20 is positioned and fixed with respect to the hopper upper lid 10 and the toner is supplied from the developer supply container 20 into the toner hopper. Further, in order to remove the developer supply container 20 from the hopper upper lid 10, it is necessary to slide the developer supply container 20 by a predetermined distance in the direction B in FIG.

Now, the details around the opening / closing lid 23 of the developer supply container 20 attached to the hopper upper lid 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. In the figure, the opening / closing lid 23a opens and closes an opening 21a of the container body 21.
And a grip portion 23b which is always exposed outward and curves upwardly convexly.
The opening / closing portion 23a of the opening / closing lid 23 is
The opening 21a of the container body 21 can be opened and closed by sliding in a groove provided on the inner peripheral surface of the container body 21.
A seal member 24 is provided between the open / close lids 23 of the container body 21 to prevent the toner from leaking to the outside from around the open / close lid 23 when the open / close lid 23 slides.

The hopper upper lid 10 is configured such that the developer supply container 20 is
A container mounting portion 10a having a toner supply opening, a projecting guide 10b for guiding and supporting an opening / closing lid 23 which slides outward and projects, and a guide 10b.
And a groove 10c provided between the container mounting portions 10a. The upper portion of the groove portion 10c on the developer supply container 20 side is an edge portion 10d where the vertical and horizontal portions intersect at substantially 90 degrees.

An elastic claw 25 made of an elastic material that also functions as a sound-generating member and a locking member is provided below the opening / closing lid 23 on the grip portion 23b side. The elastic claw 25 includes a horizontal portion 25a fixed to the guide member 22, an upward bent portion 25b bent upward, and a downwardly engaging portion 25c facing the groove portion 10c of the hopper upper lid 10. In the closed state, the horizontal portion 25a and the upwardly inclined portion 25b following the horizontal portion 25a are in a state of being along the inner surfaces of the opening / closing portion 23a and the grip portion 23b of the opening / closing lid 23.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the opening / closing lid 23 is slid outward to supply the toner in the container body 21 into the toner hopper, the elastic claw 25 is opened and closed by the opening / closing section of the opening / closing lid 23.
Since the upward bending portion 25b is pushed downward by 23a,
The locking portion 25c engages with the groove 10c of the hopper upper lid 10. Therefore, in this state, the developer supply container 20 cannot slide on the hopper upper lid 10 in the direction B, and cannot be removed from the hopper upper lid 10.

When all the toner in the container body 21 is supplied into the toner hopper, the opening / closing lid 23 is closed.
Until the elastic claw 25 and hopper top lid 10 are completely closed
Since the engagement with 10c is not released, the developer supply container 20 cannot be removed from the hopper upper lid 10.

Further, with the closing operation of the opening / closing lid 23, the elastic claw 25 is also pushed in the closing direction (the direction B in FIG. 2) of the opening / closing lid 23 by the frictional force. Groove 2
5c is strongly pressed by the side wall under the edge portion 10d, and the opening / closing lid 23
Is closed and the engagement between the opening / closing portion 23a of the opening / closing lid 23 and the upward bent portion 25b of the elastic claw 25 is lost, the locking portion 25c of the elastic claw 25 rubs the edge 10d of the hopper upper lid 10. Since the elastic claw 25 bounces upward, the elastic claw 25 simultaneously emits a popping sound.

Therefore, the operator can recognize from this sound that the opening / closing lid 23 is fully closed, and thereafter, the developer supply container 20 is moved in the direction B by a predetermined distance in FIG. What is necessary is just to remove 20 from the hopper upper lid 10.

As described above, the elastic claw 25 has a function as a locking member so that the developer supply container 20 cannot be removed from the hopper upper lid 10 unless the opening / closing lid 23 is completely closed. There is no inconvenience that the toner inside scatters from the removed developer supply container 20 to the outside. In addition, the elastic claw 25 has a function as a sound-generating member so that the worker is notified by sound of the closing time of the opening / closing lid 23 during the closing operation. This makes it possible to eliminate the operator's erroneous operation of removing the developer supply container 20 from the hopper upper lid 10 even when the open / close lid 23 is not sufficiently closed.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
Components having the same functions as those according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

In the present embodiment, an elastic claw 30 having the same function as the elastic claw 25 according to the first embodiment is integrally formed with the guide member 22, and the elastic claw 30 is bent upward when the opening / closing lid 23 is closed. The projection 30d provided at the upper end of the portion 30b is brought into contact with the lower surface of the opening / closing portion 23a of the opening / closing lid 23. And elastic claw 30
When the rib 31 projects from the lower surface of the opening / closing portion 23a of the opening / closing lid 23 on the container body 21 side from the projection 30d, when the opening / closing lid 23 is opened outward,
The rib 31 presses the upward bent portion 30b of the elastic claw 30 downward so that the downward locking portion 30c of the elastic claw 30 is engaged with the groove 10c of the hopper upper lid 10.

The removal of the developer supply container 20 from the hopper upper lid 10 is the same as that in the first embodiment, and the developer supply container 20 is slid from the state shown in FIG. Shall be.

When the lid 23 is slid outward to supply toner to the toner hopper, the rib 31
As a result, the elastic claw 30 is pushed down, the engaging portion 30c at the tip thereof is engaged with the groove 10c of the hopper upper lid 10, and the developer supply container 20 cannot be removed from the hopper upper lid 10.

When all the toner in the container body 21 is supplied to the toner hopper, the opening / closing lid 23 is closed.
The developer supply container 20 cannot be removed from the hopper upper lid 10 because the locking portion 30c of the elastic claw 30 is engaged with the groove 10c of the hopper upper lid 10 until the lid is completely closed.
23 is fully closed, the engagement between the rib 31 and the elastic claw 30 is released, and at the same time, the upwardly bent portion 30b of the elastic claw 30 attempts to return to its original position by its elastic action.
The thirty protrusions 30d hit the lower surface of the opening / closing lid 23 strongly to generate a popping sound. Therefore, the operator can recognize from this sound that the opening / closing lid 23 has been fully closed.

As described above, this embodiment can provide the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

(Effects of the Invention) As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, since the elastic member also serves as the engaging member and the sound-generating member, the opening / closing lid of the developer supply container opens the opening with a simple configuration. In this case, the movement of the developer supply container with respect to the apparatus body can be restricted, and when the opening / closing lid closes the opening, a sound is emitted to notify the worker that the opening / closing lid has been closed. Is obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view around the opening / closing lid when the developer supply container according to the first embodiment is attached to a hopper upper lid.
FIG. 3 is a view for explaining the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 with the opening / closing lid opened, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the state in which the developer supply container is attached to the upper lid of the hopper, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view around the opening / closing lid when the agent supply container is attached to the hopper upper lid. 20 ... developer supply container, 23 ... open / close lid, 25, 30 ... elastic claws (sound-producing members).

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A developer supply container detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus main body, wherein: (a) a container main body for storing a developer; and (b) a developer stored in the container main body. (C) a movable opening / closing lid for opening / closing the opening; and (d) moving the opening / closing lid in a direction in which the opening is opened. An engagement position for engaging the device main body by being pushed to restrict movement of the developer supply container with respect to the device main body; and opening and closing the opening and closing cover by moving the opening and closing lid in a direction to close the opening. A release position at which the engagement with the device body is released by the restoring force of the elastic deformation by releasing the engagement with the lid; and With the device body Developer supply container, characterized in that it comprises a and an elastic member that emits sound when the engagement is released. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member emits a sound by rubbing and bouncing the device main body when the engagement with the device main body is released by the restoring force of the elastic deformation. Item 2. A developer supply container according to Item 1. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member emits a sound by hitting the open / close lid when the engagement with the apparatus main body is released by the restoring force of the elastic deformation. The developer supply container as described in the above.